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June 12, 2014
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June 17, 2014
The pads aren’t all the way on, and contact is still very, very limited. But that didn’t stop the New Orleans Saints from fine tuning and tweaking a few things this week from the team’s practice facility in Metairie.
The Saints conducted a three-day mini-camp this week at team headquarters, an event that was heavily attended by fans starved for football and eager to see the Black and Gold in action.
Without contact, the practices didn’t resemble the game action that we’ll see in the fall when training camp arrives.
But mini-camp did give Black and Gold loyalists a chance to see some of the team’s rookies and new players in action.
Saints coach Sean Payton said the mini-camp went off without a hitch and the team got better in their practice sessions.
“I’m encouraged with how they have been practicing because one of the challenges without pads is having the right tempo and yet staying off the ground,” Payton said. “I have been encouraged with how they have done that.”
Defensively, the Saints are looking to improve off last year’s season that saw the unit improve from No. 32 in the NFL in 2012-13 to one of the top defenses in the NFL.
Arguably the biggest reason for that turnaround was defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, who revamped the Saints’ personnel and morale in his first year with the team.
With more experience in the scheme and a few new weapons on the roster, Ryan said he thinks New Orleans’ defense will be better this year.
I think it’s a goal for everywhere,” Ryan said when asked if the team has the personnel to be a No. 1 defense. “Everything is ‘team,’ ever since I’ve been here, it’s ‘team’. It’s awesome to be a part of that. Everybody’s here for a reason. I think Sean Payton and Mickey (Loomis) have picked everybody here for a reason, and our goals are team goals, and we just want to win as many as we can and win it all.”
One of the reasons why the Saints’ defense figures to be improved is its secondary. Anchored by lock-down cornerback Keenan Lewis, the Saints also will benefit from a plethora of safeties like Kenny Vaccaro, Rafael Bush and prized free agent signee Jarius Byrd. The team also signed veteran cornerback Champ Bailey.
“They’re solid,” Ryan said of the secondary. “We have some really good football players, and that’s everywhere on our defense.”
Offensively, the faces will be pretty much the same for New Orleans, as quarterback Drew Brees anchors a high-octane unit that features big-play receiving threats like receiver Marques Colston, tight end Jimmy Graham and halfbacks Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram.
By all accounts, Brees has been as sharp as ever during mini-camp, completing several difficult passes throughout the week on the team’s revamped defense.
One player who had a big camp was Colston, who said he is 100 percent healthy after playing through an array of injuries a year ago.
“Marques has as big a contribution now as he ever has,” Brees said. “Even if he’s not getting the ball, he’s a threat so teams have to game plan for him and therefor that opens up opportunities for others even if he’s not getting the ball.”
The Saints also said they will consider resting Colston throughout the summer and into training camp and the preseason, which could give younger receivers like Kenny Stills, Nick Toon and Andy Tanner opportunities to thrive.
While the majority of the Saints’ players worked out during the three days of practice, several of the team’s key players missed with injury or personal reasons.
Prized free agent signee safety Jarius Byrd didn’t practice and will be shelved the next several weeks after undergoing offseason back surgery.
New Orleans’ first-round pick Brandin Cooks missed the workouts while he was back at his alma mater Oregon State University completing his coursework to get his degree.
Payton said the team has been in communication with Cooks since drafting him and they have been setting up online tutorials for him to learn the playbook so that he can be on pace with his teammates.
Cooks completed his studies this past weekend and will be in New Orleans for the remainder of the summer.
“Yeah, it would probably be early to say,” Payton said when asked if the rookie was a fast learner. “But I think so based on the time we had him at the rookie camp.”
Also on the notable list of absent players is tight end Jimmy Graham who sat out mini-camp due to his contract grievance with the team.
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees fires a pass during mini-camp last week in Metairie. The Saints had several workouts at their practice facility this past week. According to New Orleans head coach Sean Payton, the team looked crisp during the week. One player that reporters touted throughout mini-camp was receiver Marques Colston, a player who battled nagging injuries last year.
